by Campon Formic
Ants are among the most successfully adaptive creatures on earth. They are believed to have evolved from the bee/wasp family, more than 100 million years ago. They eat a variety of things, have a well-developed sense of smell, and work together to house, feed, and defend their families. As the weather warms, we will see more and more of them.
The most common ants found in Calgary are the larger Carpenter Ants, which feed on decaying wood. They can accelerate the destruction of framing in our homes. Tiny ants that can appear in our homes are usually Pharoah Ants or Odorous House Ants, attracted to things containing sugar, which provides them the biggest “bang for their buck” of energy expended. Other ants we see include Pavement Ants (in the cracks found in asphalt or concrete), Thief Ants, Thatching Ants, Field Ants, and “Little Black” Ants.
It is a funny (though not for the ant) scientific fact that “Odorous” House Ants got this name from the blue cheese like smell they emit when crushed under foot. To keep ants from being attracted to enter your home, ensure to keep it clean free of crumbs and spills of sweet things. Seal places where they can enter the home. Once they are in the home, thin lines of a liquid ant bait like Terro will work to kill them and their colony. Just be careful to put it on the edge of the floor, away from places where it can be found by a child or pet.
Carpenter Ants
Odorous House (Sugar) Ants
Pavement Ants
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